Leisure

17th Oct 2017

Help Your Parks: The Parks Trust Gears Up for Annual Make a Difference Day

The Parks Trust is asking the people of Milton Keynes to pull on their wellies, wrap up warm and lend a hand on its annual Make a Difference Day, which will be held on Sunday 22nd October 2017. This year, help is needed to tidy up Linford Lakes Nature Reserve. Tasks will include planting holly bushes to secure the far boundary, cleaning the bird hides and feeders, clearing the paths and clearing scrub from the butterfly grass bank to encourage the rich diversity of grasses and flowers for insects to feed on. Those keen to take part should meet staff from The Parks Trust at the Reserve at 10am. Free parking is available onsite – Linford Lakes Nature Reserve Education Centre, Wolverton Road, Great Linford MK14 5AH. Volunteers are asked to dress for messy, outside work with relevant footwear, and bring gardening gloves, an outside broom or brush and a..

Read More
26th Aug 2017

Get on your bike and win prizes for Cycle September

Cycle September is a free competition between workplaces to see who can get the most staff riding a bike and pedalling the most miles. Supported by Milton Keynes Council, Get Smarter Travel and Love to Ride, Cycle September encourages everyone to give cycling a go. Participants can win some fantastic prizes by accumulating miles, including trips to Brighton, Berlin, Italy and San Francisco, as well as bikes, gear, vouchers and more. You only need to sign up and cycle for 10 minutes to be entered into the competition, but the more you cycle the greater your chances are of winning. Points are awarded for encouraging others to join as well as riding and workplaces can see how they’re doing on local and national leader boards. Leader of Milton Keynes Council, Peter Marland said: “This is a fantastic initiative that I hope will get more people discovering Milton Keynes by bike...

Read More
22nd Aug 2017

Vote for your favourite retailer at intu Milton Keynes

Which store gives the best customer service, who has gone the extra mile and who deserves to receive an award? You decide!  Cast your votes for the intu Milton Keynes Retailer Awards 2017 and even get a chance of winning a £250 Gift Card and other prizes.  This year’s Retailer Awards include 10 different categories, so every store within the centre has a great chance of picking up a prize, plus all the votes made by customers will count towards an entry into the draw to win £250 gift card and a night’s stay at Jurys Inn!  Voting has opened! This year’s categories include, the ‘World Class Customer Service Award’, the ‘Womenswear Retailer of the Year Award’, the ‘Menswear Retailer of the Year Award’, the ‘Footwear Retailer of the Year Award’, the ‘Jewellery & Accessories Retailer of the Year Award’, the ‘Health & Beauty Retailer of the Year’, the ‘Food..

Read More
22nd Jun 2017

Science of Vaping Tour kicks off in Milton Keynes to debunk myths about vaping

First leg of tour launches 50-day challenge to quit smoking to chime with MK’s 50th anniversary The 10-day MK tour provides smokers with the hard facts about e-cigarettes and highlights advice from UK public health groups  A new educational initiative The Science of Vaping Tour has launched in Milton Keynes in a bid to educate smokers about e-cigarettes in the face of growing evidence that the ‘95% less harmful’ message is not getting through to the public and government inaction is contributing to declining adoption of vaping products. The Science of Vaping Tour launches on Friday 23 June with a ribbon cutting by the Mayor of Milton Keynes and press briefing followed by a 10-day tobacco ‘Amnesty Shredder’ stunt in the Centre:MK and on Bletchley high street, which will invite smokers in Milton Keynes to shred their cigarettes and commit to a 50-day smoke free challenge to align with the city’s 50th..

Read More
21st Jun 2017

New Details Announced for Willen Lake’s Splash ‘n’ Play

Willen Lake, Milton Keynes’ most popular park, is excited to announce the latest details about its new splash park, Splash ‘n’ Play. Splash ‘n’ Play is due to open on Saturday 15th July 2017, in time for the summer holidays. It will cover 1000m², making it one of the UK’s largest outdoor splash parks, and considerably bigger than others in the local area. With over 60 unique water features, there will be plenty for children aged up to 13-years-old to enjoy. Highlights include a Super Splash, a large drench bucket; a water tunnel; eleven jets, a sail boat, water cannons and a Sea Serpent. In the special toddler play area there will be a bespoke water journey area called The Race to help stimulate their imagination and interactive social skills. Toddlers can also enjoy the magic mist, aqua dome and water bugs features. To ensure an enjoyable and safe experience..

Read More
21st Jun 2017

Rushmere Country Park earns 2017 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence

Rushmere Country Park has received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence. Now in its sixth year, the achievement celebrates hospitality businesses that have earned great traveller reviews on TripAdvisor over the past year. Certificate of Excellence recipients include accommodation, places to eat and attractions located all over the world that have continually delivered a quality customer experience. The park in Heath and Reach, near Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, is managed by the Greensand Trust on a not for profit basis and has been made available by the Trust and Central Bedfordshire Council working in partnership for the benefit of local people and wildlife. The Greensand Trusts’s Chief Executive Gill Welham said: “We’re delighted to have been awarded an internationally recognised standard of excellence, thanks to many visitors who’ve visited Rushmere Country Park posting highly positive reviews. We appreciate feedback from our visitors which helps us to improve our offer – as a..

Read More
01st Jun 2017

Get Active in the Parks This Summer With Outdoor Fitness Classes

A new fitness class has started at Teardrop Lakes, perfect for those looking to get into shape for the summer. Project Fitness is run by trainer Roland Patterson and is all focused on changing people’s mindsets in terms of training and eating. The bootcamp classes take place twice a day, three times a week with a variety of HIIT/Circuit style sessions. All abilities are welcome. Those interested in taking part should contact Roland on 07842 833354 or visit www.rolandpatterson.com This is the latest fitness class that can be enjoyed in Milton Keynes’ beautiful and inspiring parkland. The Parks Trust, the self-financing charity that manages and maintains over 6,000 acres of the city’s space, looks after the licences for these activities and always welcomes applications for similar groups. Other outdoor fitness classes include fitMK, which offers fitness and training classes for ages 16 and over run by Chief Instructor Simon Williams..

Read More
01st Jun 2017

Get on yer’ bike and sign up for the Cycle4MK50 bike ride...

Forget about Tour De France, it’s Tour de Furzton Lake this June! Cycle4MK50 has organised a thrilling five mile bike ride led by qualified cycle leaders on Sunday 11 June at Furzton Lake, gearing up at 11.30am. Pouring into life in the 1980s, Furzton Lake has always been one of Milton Keynes best loved spots, so of course it had to be included in the MK50 celebrations. The epic Cycle4MK50 ride is open to anyone over the age of 14, with bikes provided by Santander Cycles MK. So no bike, no problem! Setting off from Furzton Lake car park, push those pedals down and explore MK’s stunning man-made lake. Zoom passed the Triple Star Head sculpture by Romanian artist Paul Neagu, see if you can spot the newly hatched birds on the banks, and ju-ju-jutter across the bumpy wooden bridge. You might even spot a heron flying overhead! To join..

Read More
23rd May 2017

The Parks Trust Reveals The True Cost Of Litter

As we approach the second May Bank Holiday and the school half term, The Parks Trust has calculated the true cost of dropping litter in the city’s many parks, woodlands and lakes. Litter is a major issue for The Parks Trust, which manages and maintains over 6,000 acres of green space in Milton Keynes. The self-financing charity can reveal that: During one week of the 2016 summer holidays, the Trust collected 848 bags of litter across its parks – this equates to 4.24 tonnes of rubbish in just one week The Parks Trust’s litter costs have escalated by £100,000 over the last three years and now stand at over £330,000 (exc. VAT) each year Over 15% of the Trust’s operations budget is now spent on cleansing of litter There have been 14 incidents since 2015 where litter-dropping offenders have been identified and spot fines administered or prosecutions sought The amount..

Read More
23rd May 2017

Willen Lake Holds Half Term Water Safety Day With Free Activities

Willen Lake, Milton Keynes’ most popular park, is holding a special Water Safety Day this half term – the perfect opportunity for children to find out more about staying safe in the water this summer. The event will take place on Wednesday 31st May between 11am and 6pm, with a range of free outdoor games and activities for all. Organisations such as The Parks Trust and Bucks Fire will also have stands to provide advice about water safety. Between 11am and 2pm, visitors can enjoy free 30-minute dragon boat sessions, with free 30-minute instructor led stand up paddle-boarding sessions then available between 2pm and 6pm. Rob Wood, General Manager at Willen Lake, commented: “It’s vital that people stay safe when in and around water, and events such as these are a great opportunity to involve and engage the community on such an important issue. We hope that lots of people..

Read More
17th May 2017

MK Lightning Strikes with New Team Signing

Fresh from winning World Championship Division 1B Gold with Team GB, MK Lightning Coach Pete Russell has announced a new signing to join MK Lightning this August. Coach Russell successfully managed Elite newcomers and play-off winners MK Lightning, whilst also leading the Division 1B British team to success in Belfast. Determined to continue the success, Russell has been quick to engage with both UK and international players to join his newly-promoted team. The first signing is Canadian forward Guillaume Doucet; Guillaume played last season for EPL and Challenge Cup winners Cardiff Devils.  Commenting on the signing, Coach Russell said: “I am delighted to have signed Guillaume Doucet. He is a pure goal scorer and anywhere inside that grade A zone, he is lethal. He also plays with an edge in his game and competes hard for his team. Every successful team needs a Doucet in it and we are delighted..

Read More
02nd May 2017

VICTORIA’S SECRET ADDS TO THE WOW FACTOR AT INTU MILTON KEYNES

One of the world’s most glamorous lingerie brands, Victoria’s Secret, has chosen intu Milton Keynes to launch its first store in the city. The new store will be situated in a prime location on the East Walk, adjacent to other top international retailers, including Hugo Boss.  As the leading specialty retailer of lingerie, sleepwear and beauty products, the new 8,258 sq ft Victoria’s Secret store will feature a full range of the brand’s iconic lingerie collections. The new store will also bring Victoria’s Secret PINK, the lifestyle brand celebrating college women and campus life.  The addition of Victoria’s Secret further strengthens intu Milton Keynes’ appeal to its fashion conscious customers adding to the high quality shopping experience it offers. Victoria’s Secret will join other aspirational brands including Apple, Karen Millen and Michael Kors.  Nick Round, regional director at intu, said: “As the UK’s leading shopping centre owner, intu is focused..

Read More
21st Mar 2017

The Parks Trust Partners with the Environment Agency and Wild Trout Trust to Create a Refuge for...

The Parks Trust, the self-financing charity that manages and maintains over 5,000 acres of Milton Keynes’ green space, has in partnership with the Environment Agency and Wild Trout Trust, created a 30 metre long refuge (back water) for fish along the River Ouzel at Woughton. It was created using an old, silted up channel that was once part of the main river. The Parks Trust, experts in land management, are well aware that as a result of the quick run-off into the river from the hard surfaces associated with an urban setting, the local rivers suffer from flash rises and flooding. This leads to small and young fish being potentially washed away or killed and subsequently contributes to the fish stocks struggling to replenish themselves. The new back water will provide a place for fish, particularly fry and yearlings, to take shelter in when needed. As the river increases in..

Read More
15th Dec 2016

Push button starts are characteristic of older cars but they are increasingly making a come back

The latest Peugeot 108 city car incorporates one, together with keyless entry. This means that as long as the key is in the driver’s pocket, they can open the car and drive off (after putting their foot on the clutch and pushing start). One wet Wednesday morning when I take eldest daughter Harriett to school there is, all of a sudden, a frighteningly loud beep, which repeats for a few minutes. I don’t want to be late so I ignore it. We arrive some 10 minutes later in one piece with no punctures. Perplexed, I forget all about it until I return and push the start button. Only to find that a stop sign appears in capital letters on the dashboard. We are not going anywhere. Resisting the urge to phone the AA, I reach for the glovebox and delve into the user manual. Remaining calm I push the buttons..

Read More